Locked Wings
by bananaspit
Summary: Syaoran grew sick of being caged in by the Elders and sought a way out. Now, 5 years later, Sakura gets bribed to take him back, even if it means doing the dirty.
1. Take Flight

Locked Wings

It's been a while since I've last written. Enjoy.

Disclaimer – I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura (CCS).

Chapter one: Take Flight

"_I'm leaving! I'm leaving Hong Kong and I'm leaving the Li Clan!"_

"_As your Elders, we command you to stay. You are the future leader of the Li Clan. If you leave now, the entire future of the clan will be jeopardized."_

"_Do I look like I care?! Look, all my life I've been imprisoned by the duties as the future clan leader__… but no more. I quit."_

"_No. If you leave now, do not expect a single cent to be given to you by the clan. You will have no money and you'll live out in the streets. You are not to leave Hong Kong, Syaoran Li, no._

"_I don't care! Here, I'm being watched everywhere I go, whatever I do, hell, even if I try to talk to a girl! What kind of life is this? What kind of so-called leader am I? I'm only twelve!"_

"_SYAORAN LI! Remember your place in front of us. We are the Elders. You are not. You are to obey our orders until you reach the age of 18, when you'll be eligible to ascend and inherit the throne from your mother, Yelan Li."_

"_Yea, well I still don't care and guess what? You can kiss my butt good-bye." With that said, Syaoran turned away briskly from the old men controlling his life and walked away with determination in his eyes. He didn't hesitate before slamming the door and he wouldn't hesitate getting onto a first class plane away from his prison. He had already known that the moment of his rebellion would arrive sooner or later, and had already saved up money for the ticket.  
_

_That was five years ago when 12-year old Syaoran Li finally called the quits on his duties and left on a plane to Japan. There was no way the Elders could track him down for he left no evidence of where he was going after that argument. From the moment he was born, he was trained to depend on no one but himself. Ironically, the Elders had prepared him for his escape from the prison-like home. If not for them, little 12-year old Syaoran Li wouldn't have the guts or bravery to leave his cage once and for all to seek the freedom he had desired so much._

_In his heart, he didn't feel a trace of regret for giving up his title as Clan Leader but rather felt excited to finally be able to taste the freedom that he had desired his entire life. He took nothing from the Clan with him so that he didn't owe them anything. No suitcase. No baggage. No, he didn't need any of those things because… he had already prepared someone to help him on his rebellion._

__

--

"Hey Eriol! Wake up," said Syaoran as he nudged his friend and very distant cousin, Eriol, with a raised foot. Break was finally over for the students of the prestigious Toki High. The five years that Syaoran had spent away from the Clan had been the first real pleasure he had experienced since he was born. Although he didn't have any servants to command or a mansion to live in as he had before, he was enjoying his life much more than before.

"Dude! It's 7:45 and school starts in 15 minutes! Hurry up!" scowled Syaoran as he continued nudging Eriol's sleeping back, but with much more force. "You wouldn't want Daidouji-san to be disappointed in you right? Who'd want a tardy boyfr-"

Before Syaoran could finish his sentence, Eriol had already shoved Syaoran's foot away and had become wide awake. Daidouji-san was the alarm clock. His blue hair whooshed past Syaoran's eyes as he made a mad dash to the restroom to wash up for the day. Chuckling, Syaoran rolled his eyes at his friend's obsession over Tomoyo Daidouji, one of the school's prettiest girls. Eriol himself wasn't bad looking and neither was Syaoran. Both tall and had eyes that were worth drowning in… although neither realized this. They were both oblivious to the many girls swooning over them the minute they step out of their car every day.

A casual flick of Syaoran's hair was, to the girls, a majestic toss of his beautifully shaped head. The uncombed mess that highly resembled a stack of hay was considered a messy, but unique, hair style. The clothes that he just randomly pulls out of his closet, was always "in".

Equally, Eriol Hiiragizawa's round rimmed glasses were viewed as "a sign of inner intelligence" and his blue dyed hair was to utterly die for. Of course, as many fans as they get, they get about the same amount of people who hate them for their attention. Still, they had a few who didn't mind.

"Kyaaa! Is that a new shirt?!"

"Oh. My. Gosh. He looked at me!! I… I think he likes me!"

Simultaneously, both boys strode into Toki High completely clueless over their fangirls. While Syaoran and Eriol were enjoying themselves at school, they had absolutely no idea that they were being tracked all this time by none other than the Elders.

Back in Hong Kong…

"Kinomoto Sakura, we are now charging you with the duty bringing back Syaoran Li from Toki High, a high school located in Japan," said the Elders in a calm manner. "We will provide all the things you need for the trip."

"Why? Why are you telling _me_ to do this?" asked Sakura, glaring at the old men with suspicion clear in her eyes. She had been walking down the streets when suddenly, a black limousine drives up to her. Men in suits stepped out and demanded her to ride with them. It was a forced meeting.

"We know about your father's… difficulties the past few months," smiled one of the Elders, "If you agree to this, you will receive the clan's total support."

"How do you know this?! It's none of your business. What my father did is his doing. It has _nothing_ to do with me." Sakura stood up from the chair she had been offered from the beginning of the conversation. She crossed her arms, defiant, and turned her head around, refusing to meet the taunting and teasing gaze of the old men. Her hatred towards her father for marrying another woman after her mother died won't be put out easily. It was only two years after her mother's death and suddenly, another woman was in the house wearing _her_ mother's apron and standing in the kitchen holding _her _mother's spatula. She was twelve when her mother had passed away from a car accident and she was clueless back then until her mother's absence became clear. Her mother didn't go on a long trip! She _died._Four years, a mere four years. Did he really expect her to forgive him for marrying another?

The Elders chuckled, "You can't fool us, Kinomoto-san. We know you care for him even though you purposely ignore him and reject his many offers for you to go back home to-"

"My home is not where that whore is. Get that right!" Sakura whipped her head back furiously to meet the Elders' eyes.

"No need for such… attitude and language… but yes. We will pay for his hospital bills and we will guarantee his survival from the car crash. Don't expect us to be fools to not know that you've been secretly paying for his hospital bills where he lies in a coma. Do not expect us to not know that you're borrowing money from lone sharks. Do not expect us to not know what you've been doing during the night, all for money," the Elders said with their voices rising louder and louder

"Enough!" cried Sakura as she collapsed onto the floor, finally giving in to the old men's jeers. She sobbed, "It's not as if I'm not trying! Do you know how much it hurts to lose a mother in a car crash and now a father?! I'm trying!"

"Yes… which gives you all the more reason to accept this task. Your father will be revived and your debts will be paid. You will no longer have to use your body as a tool for money. Accept, Kinomoto, accept," the Elders droned on.

Obtaining control over her voice again, Sakura raised her head and asked once more, "Why me?"

"Little girl! Have you not noticed how Syaoran looked at you?" laughed the Elders, "You are the object of affection to him. Use that Kinomoto. Use that to bring him back and we will provide you with as much money as you need."

Sakura hesitated, weighing out the pros and cons in her head silently. She knew the decision she made could affect her entire life, but with her father's life on the line, she had no choice. No other option but…

"I accept."

"Good," said the Elders without a trace of emotion on their faces. Experience had taught them to not reveal any signs of triumph. "Expect someone to pick you up tomorrow morning at seven promptly. Be ready."

Sakura rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, "Yea whatever." She turned around, walking briskly but in her mind she wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing. She felt like a criminal as she closed the door behind her, leaving the Li mansion. She and Syaoran were friends before he left even though she hadn't been aware that she was the "object of affection" to him. Still… compared to her father and his threatening end… one less friend paled in comparison. Sakura quickly pushed the thought away from her head and started thinking about what to pack and how she'll get close to Syaoran as she made her way home in the night.

Of course, she'll have to find some way to enroll into the school and somehow become friends with Syaoran. The problem is… where will she live? She can't just go to school straight off the streets. And what if Syaoran wanted to go over to her "house"? That'll be a problem. Sakura sighed as she walked into her rented apartment and flicked on the lights. It was small and cramped but it was the only thing she could afford. The dining room, living room and kitchen were all basically one room altogether. Only her room and the bathroom were separate and they too had very little space. Roomy was just a word that doesn't exist when it comes to her apartment.

Sakura walked past the little table she picked up off the streets and dropped her bag and keys down. After taking about ten steps, she was already in her room. Sighing, Sakura plopped herself down on her bed and buried her face in her hands. She was still a high schooler and yet she had to work as a part time to support herself. "Gimme a break. I'm just some stupid sixteen year old! You expect me to go to Japan, find some heir, and support father from the shadows?! You've got to be kidding," complained Sakura as she ran her fingers through her auburn hair. Suddenly, she sat up straight and gave a loud gasp. "Shoot! It's almost 9 o' clock and I haven't even packed a single thing!" Hurriedly, Sakura ran over to her closet to get a suit case but stopped her hands before they started digging. "Oh… right… I sold my suitcase… crap." Her closet barely contained anything except for a few articles of clothing. To survive and pay for her father's hospital bills, she had to sell many of her previous belongings, even those of her mother's. She had planned to track them down and buy them back once she has enough money but really. What are the chances of that ever happening?

That thing that her father married couldn't do a single thing. From what Sakura heard from her distant cousin's mother, all that thing did was break down in tears and stare dumbly at a wall everyday. How it even had the instincts to get up and get food was a complete puzzle. It was no different than a person with mental issues. Of course, Sakura can't just rely on her very distant cousin to pay her bills and so everything was left up to Sakura. Oh joy.

Realizing she actually had nothing to pack, Sakura sighed dejectedly and gave in to a cramped but tempting shower.

--

"You know, Eriol," Syaoran said as he turned his head to his friend, "I really should thank you for letting me live at your house. If it weren't for you, I'd still be back in… you know… _there_." The day was over and the two friends had just finished eating dinner. Apparently, Syaoran could cook really well and his arrival had thus ended Eriol's days of microwavable food.

"Aaw c'mon. Don't get sappy here with me." Eriol teased as he pushed back his chair to start collecting the dirty dishes. He understood Syaoran well enough to know what "there" was. It was such a bad place that Syaoran didn't even want to mention it anymore. Eriol doubted there was anything Syaoran even missed from "there", meaning Hong Kong.

Syaoran pushed Eriol's hands away and took the dishes himself, "No, I'm serious. I really need to thank you. You took me in unconditionally and gave me a place to stay. If it weren't for you, I'd be out on the streets right now. That plate of steak I just ate? Yeah. It wouldn't have even existed."

"Syaoran. How many times do we have to have this conversation?" Eriol said, rolling his eyes and finally giving in to Syaoran and allowed him to do the dishes, "I know already! Shut up about this or I'm really going to kick you out."

Silence.

Eriol gave a loud groan and leaned back in his chair, "Can't you just talk about something else? Please?" Syaoran laughed and shook his head deciding not to reply. As he was wiping off the dishes, he just couldn't help but think of her…

Apparently, "her" was already on her way to his life. At exactly seven, a limo had appeared in front of her door and she was sent quickly to the airport without delay. The driver didn't seem to have a care for the road's maximum speed limit but just whizzed by everything. Her trip to the HK Airport all seemed pretty much a blur. It was still early, and Sakura wasn't a morning person. For the Elders' money, she had to transfer schools by a ridiculous thirty seconds long voice mail, give up her apartment and everything else in it, though there wasn't much to begin with, her part-time. There was no turning back for her at all.

In a matter of minutes, Sakura already boarded the airplane the Elders had booked for her. Surprisingly, it was first-class. Sakura stared dazed in her chair/sofa. Everything had happened so fast and all within 24 hours. Before she had left in the morning, she called the hospital to check up on her dad. To her surprise, Sakura's father had been moved into a different room with better service and care. All the fees that Sakura had held back were all paid for, even the fees that were to come a month later! It all happened overnight like… magic. But of course, it was all because the Elders had opened their mouths and ordered for the debts to be paid. Part of Sakura felt annoyed and part of her felt grateful, but both were about the same, neither outweighing the other.

As she waited for the short ride from Hong Kong to Japan to terminate, she couldn't help but wonder what Syaoran _looked_ like. It's not like _she_ was the one who took him as an object of affection. He did! She just thought he was some friend, and a distant one at that. Just the fact that Sakura remembered his name was shocking.

When she was little, a lot of boys looked in her direction because she was the prettiest girl in the entire grade. She had always carried a bright smile on her face and anyone who looked at her just couldn't help but smile. The way she wanted to help everyone and try her best at everything was cute to anyone, including Syaoran of course. But, what makes her unique out of all the other girls were her eyes. The pair of emerald orbs always carried with them a glimmer of excitement that seemed to last forever. The green that stared back when you met eye contact with them weres enough to make hearts melt. Unknown to Syaoran, however, was that the Sakura he knew back then is gone. In her replacement is a Sakura filled with sorrow and those emerald eyes? They turned dull and ordinary, all because of her mother's death. It was after Syaoran's departure and so, he wouldn't know about the abrupt change in the girl he cared for the most.

She was everything he would never be, at least that was what he thought. To him, there seemed to be a pair of white wings sprouting from behind her back, as if she can go any where she wanted, whenever she wanted. No imprisonment or control whatsoever. For once, even once, he wanted to have those wings too. In the end, he took flight. He flew away on a pair of mechanical wings off to Japan there ridded his life of the Elders.

He thought it was over. He thought he finally broke free, but no. He will always be tracked, by the Elders, and now by his beloved. In fact, her flight has almost met its mark: Tokyo.

--

Thanks for making it this far. Hope you liked reading it. R&R please.


	2. Abrupt Arrival

Locked Wings

Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura (CCS).

Chapter 2: Abrupt Arrival

--

"Wow!" shrilled Sakura excitedly. Her flight to Japan was coming to an end. From high up in the air, Tokyo was basically a city of lights. The entire city was lit up with bright and different colors. Tall towers stuck out and sprouted from the ground just like in Hong Kong, but much more crowded. This was Sakura's first time in Japan and if her ticket had been paid and everything had been set up, why not just take her assignment as some kind of vacation? She might as well relax a bit. She deserved it.

It was a good thing that before her mother had died, Sakura had taken up Japanese as a second language after Mandarin otherwise she couldn't even imagine communicating with the students at her new school nonetheless take Syaoran back.

Slowly but gradually, the plane slid into the runway. Nervously, Sakura unfastened her seat belt and made her way out. She hadn't expected anyone to pick her up but there he was, standing right in front her the moment she exited the off ramp.

Wei.

"Greetings Kinomoto-san. I am Wei and I will be your butler during your time here in Japan." Wei bowed low. He was an old man dressed in a black suit. Unlike most men his age, he still had the ability to stand up tall and straight and pull off a confident appearance.

"Oh, please!" stuttered Sakura, "Sakura's fine. No need for Kinomoto-san. It's a pleasure to meet you Wei-san."

Wei chuckled as he stood up straight again, "You tell me not to call you Kinomoto-san and yet you call me Wei-san? It's alright. Wei's fine."

Sakura gave him a small smile and acknowledged him. "Wei then. Alright, so… where will I be staying?"

Wei switched back to butler mode and stretched out his right arm directing her away from the airport, "Your ride is waiting, Sakura." He smiled mysteriously as if holding onto a secret.

Sakura raised an eyebrow in confusion but nodded and proceeded out Tokyo's airport. With no baggage, no luggage, or suitcase in hand, Sakura had arrived in Tokyo at last.

In the car, Sakura remained quiet all the way, preferring to keep her thoughts to herself. Although Wei had been kind to her, she still couldn't bring herself to converse with him like ordinary friends. Reality had hit her when she was at a young age and ever since her father's betrayal, she hardly trusted anyone but herself. If she couldn't rely on the one and only person she thought she could trust, then who else can she trust? That's right. No one.

Doubt in her heart nagged at her constantly. Wei could be replaying everything she tells him back to the Elders. If she revealed even one more weakness, she knew that the Elders would pounce on it. Wei had made several attempts at starting a casual conversation with Sakura, but all Sakura did was either give a nod and a smile or just a small laugh. After her father's betrayal, she had vowed to never again open up to anyone. It was just a pact she made with herself.

It was still early by the time she got to Japan. The sun was high up in the sky and people were scurrying around doing whatever they were doing in the streets. Everywhere was a definition for a sea of people and many were either on their phones or holding shopping bags. Unless Sakura gets money, it was clear that she wouldn't fit into her environment.

All of a sudden, the car made a sharp turn into a street that was nearly invisible. Not many would notice it since it just blended itself into the busy life of Japan. As urban and dirty the major road was, this barely noticeable alley led into a beautiful picture of green. Sakura stared slack-jawed at the grass and flowers that grew on the front lawn of the towering two-story house in front of her. She had thought that she'd have to live out in the streets and pay for her living the entire time she was at Tokyo but apparently, she was wrong. She had a butler to call upon, a two-story house to live in, and three servants, who were lined in a row on the lawn.

The car skidded to a stop. Before Sakura could hit back to reality, the car door had already been open for her by Wei. Feeling like royalty, she stepped out of the backseat and stood there dazed.

Wei felt her awe and chuckled softly, "Come, Sakura. There is much to do."

Sakura snapped back into reality and stuttered, "O-Oh… right." The row of servants stepped back in sync to reveal a stone paved road. With Sakura leading the way and Wei in the back, Sakura couldn't help but feel like royalty.

All along the way up to the house, shrubs that were cut into many different shapes lined the road, all trimmed and cut perfectly. But the road had to have an end sooner or later. It led up to a massive two piece front door, painted white just like the house. Wei suddenly sped up and opened the door for Sakura, leaving her to let loose an awe-struck expression. The inside of the house matched the exterior's beauty. Pottery and statues were placed around the house and next to the spiraling stairway. Portraits of sceneries were hung along the walls.

"Here we are, your new home. Well, for the time being I suppose." Wei corrected himself, embarrassed.

Sakura beamed at Wei, "It's beautiful."

"Yes," laughed the butler, "it is. Now, let's get started on your appearance." Wei gave a resounding snap of his fingers and designers swooped in from the sides. Sakura looked left and right, shocked at the sudden emergence of the new people. Each and every one of them held some kind of tool, all strange and weird looking. Deadly to Sakura.

"Begin."

A chair swooped in from the left and knocked Sakura off her feet. Quickly, she was wheeled to a full-body mirror. Baffled, Sakura looked left and right, anxious at what is to come.

Wei held up a picture of Sakura when she was ten. "I want her," he pointed at Sakura, "to look like _her_ again when you guys are done, but more mature and elegant."

"Wait, what?" Sakura started to protest, "What's wrong with my look now? C'mon, it's not _that_ bad is it?"

Wei chuckled and leaned down next to Sakura and placed his arm around her shoulder, "Absolutely not, but the whole point of this is to get Syaoran-sama to fall for you again, that is, if he had forgotten about you at all."

"Oh..." Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and twirled a strand of long hair. She had grown out her hair after her mother's death and it seemed strange that she'd have to cut it so sudden. She'd miss the feel of the weight on her head but the cut was something that must be done. She sighed, "Fine."

"Alright then." Wei took a step back to let the hair designers get prepared, "Let's get started."

--

Sakura frowned as she played with the tips of her hair. She groaned and ran her fingers through her hair but stopped short. Literally. She sat back against her armchair and exhaled deeply. For this task, she had risked everything she had. Not only her apartment and job, but also her appearance. Now, Sakura was back to short auburn. She blew at her new bangs and slumped further down her chair. Squinting her eyes, she started kicking her feet to let out her frustration. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a pillow. Snatching it, she stared at it for a second and slammed it into her face and let loose an ear-splitting scream, but muffled.

She repeated her scream three times until she was panting and shaking. She threw the pillow across the room in the general direction of the door and coincidentally, it hit Wei's feet. Holding a plate of fruit, he looked down onto the pillow and traced it back to where it came from. An eyebrow was raised in puzzlement and amusement when he saw Sakura's melted-like form.

"So Sakura," Wei said, as he put down the plate next to Sakura, "what's with the fire?"

Sakura mumbled something incoherent after turning her head away from Wei.

"Come on. It's my job to allow your stay here to be as pleasant as possible and judging from that pillow, I would say that you're not pleasant at all." Wei waited for Sakura to answer him. Finally, she sighed dejectedly and looked at Wei.

"I want my hair."

Wei stared at her with wide eyes, "Is that it?"

Now it was Sakura's turn to raise her eyebrow, "Yeah… what did you expect?"

The butler stared at her with eyes as big as saucers and his mouth open. He _had_ expected something. He had expected from her a demand to go back to Hong Kong. He had expected something close to "I quit." But her hair? Wei started laughing and ended up sighing in relief. "Nothing, nothing. Don't worry Sakura, your hair will grow back. This is just temporary. Once we have Syaoran-sama safe and secure in the Li mansion, you're free to do whatever you want again."

"So I'm basically in a bind now huh…" Sakura stared down at her feet in silence.

Unable to take the awkward moment, Wei attempted to switch the subject. "Guess what high school you'll be attending?"

Sakura lifted her head up a tad bit, a gesture of questioning.

"Toki High."

Sakura suddenly jerked alert. "Did you just say… Toki High?"

"Yes."

Sakura gasped and started shrilling in excitement, "Tomoyo-chan goes there too! I can't wait to surprise her! Oh no. I need to get my clothes ready for tomorrow. I'll talk to you later, bye Wei!" With that, Sakura was out the door in a flash, leaving Wei in her wake.

"...Well that worked well."

--

"Psst! Syaoran!"

"What?" Syaoran lifted his head from his work to look at Eriol.

Eriol bounced up and down in his seat and whispered louder, "I heard there's a new girl in our class!"

"Whatever. I don't care. Now shut up. I forgot to do homework last night." Syaoran rolled his eyes and brushed off Eriol. Eriol crossed his arms, insulted, and pouted at Syaoran's lack of enthusiasm. Why couldn't he see the happy side of anything? Why isn't he interested in anyone? If he did, surely life would be much more pleasant and fun for Eriol. Since the option of teasing Syaoran was gone, all that was left was poking him. And so, Eriol spent the next five minutes poking Syaoran. If Tomoyo hadn't entered the classroom, Eriol would've continued poking Syaoran. But she did and so he stopped.

A couple minutes later, Terada-sensei walked into the classroom and the volume lowered itself automatically until it was a hush. "Class! We have a new student today."

_Act natural Sakura! Natural! Wait, no! Not natural. Aim for happy-go-lucky._

"I want you all to help her settle into Toki High. She's fresh from Hong Kong…"

_You can do this. You can recognize Syaoran or whatever his face is._

"… but she's still able to speak Japanese!"

_Smile… smile… no that's too big! Yes… smaller, more timid and a bit on the cheery side…_

"If she ever asks for anything, I expect you all, as her home-room classmates, to help her out…"

_Where's that darn room again? Oh right, there it is._

"…if she ever needs it."

_This is it! Breathe Sakura. You can do this. Think about father. Think about… money I guess._

"I present to you…"

_Is my hair ok?_

"Kinomoto Sakura."

Syaoran's head popped up and his pencil stopped scribbling. His eyes widened as he stared at the girl standing at the front of the class smiling. He whispered, "Sakura?"

"Hi! My name's Kinomoto Sakura. You can just call me Sakura." Sakura smiled at the whole class and chirped cheerfully as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet."

"As a new student, why don't you tell us two of your hobbies?" said Terada sensei clapping his hands together once.

_Crap. What did I like to do before again?_

"Well…" Sakura said thoughtfully, "I don't have any specific hobbies but I absolutely love the color pink!"

Syaoran stared at Sakura thinking, "That's the color _she_ liked too!"

Sakura continued after a short pause, "Oh, and I have a cat named Kero. He's really sweet." She gave a short laugh, attempting to mask her scanning eyes. She tried to find Syaoran but couldn't.

"No way!" thought Syaoran, "She had a cat named Kero too! Could it be…?"

"Alrighty then! Now as for your seat… since you're coming to Toki High in the middle of the school year, you'll just have to make do with a seat in the back. Do you have any eyesight issues?" asked Terada sensei.

"Not at all!"

"Ok then, your seat is right behind Syaoran…"

_Aha!_

"who's right there on the far right hand corner of the room in the last seat of the row. Syaoran, it'll be your job to show her around." Terada sensei pointed at Syaoran.

Sakura bowed once before exiting the front of the class and walked over to Syaoran's row. On the way, she spotted Tomoyo's face. She flashed Tomoyo a smile, but was returned with Tomoyo's worried look. It seemed that her mother had told her everything that had happened to Sakura. As determined as Sakura was to keep her face straight, she couldn't help but feel her heart being gnawed with anxiousness.

_I hope she doesn't blow my cover… I better find her after class and tell her everything. Tomoyo's nice… she'll help me out. I think._

As Sakura passed by Syaoran, who was trying to look casual, she stopped at his desk and said, "It's been a long time since we've met again, Syaoran."

Syaoran whipped his head up to look at Sakura, shock written all across his face. Sakura flashed him another smile and continued on to her seat.

Syaoran tousled his chocolate brown hair and groaned, "What's going on?"

--

"Sakura!" called Tomoyo, as she ran forward to greet her friend with a warm hug, "You're here!"

Sakura chucked and returned Tomoyo's hug with a squeeze, "Yea, it's nice to see you again. How have things been going with my favorite cousin hmm?"

"Eh," Tomoyo's face scrunched together, "it's ok I guess, but forget about me! What about you?!"

"What about me?" Sakura feinted confusion but she knew the meaning behind Tomoyo's words.

Tomoyo looked around before whispering hotly to Sakura, "Your father! He just got into an accident and now you're leaving him? And what's with the _it's been a long time since we've met, Syaoran_ deal? You know him?"

"Shh, shh, shh!" Sakura pulled Tomoyo away, "Let's talk about this somewhere else." Tomoyo glared at her friend suspiciously but submitted to Sakura's pull. They didn't stop walking in silence until they reached the school's rooftop.

Tomoyo tugged her arm away from Sakura's grip and demanded to know what was going on. Sakura started, "I've made a contract."

"With who?" hissed Tomoyo.

"The Elders."

"The what?" exclaimed Tomoyo.

Sakura sighed and turned away. "They are the people who run the Li clan." Tomoyo put two and two together. Hong Kong. Li Clan. Syaoran Li. She gave a loud gasp and ran in front of Sakura.

"But the Li Clan is in charge of Hong Kong! You're just a normal citizen. What did you do to make a contract with _them_?" asked Tomoyo, worried.

"If I didn't make the contract with them, I wouldn't have enough money to save father!" yelled Sakura. Tomoyo inhaled deeply and looked at the ground.

"What is this contract. Tell me that first."

Sakura locked onto Tomoyo's amethyst eyes and answered seriously, "I have to bring Syaoran Li, heir to the Li Clan, back to Hong Kong."

"Are you telling me this because we're friends or is there another reason?" Tomoyo walked up to Sakura, their faces inches apart.

Sakura turned away and backed up, unable to meet her gaze. "The latter… I need you to help me. Help me take Syaoran back. Please Tomoyo? Please?"

Tomoyo stood up straight and played with the tips of her hair thoughtfully. She was torn between friendship and morale. She knew that if she didn't help Sakura, Sakura's father wouldn't have enough money to live on in the hospital. Sure her family had money, but what are the chances that Sakura Kinomoto, an overly proud person, would accept money from her for free? On the other hand, if she did help Sakura, she wouldn't be able to live with her choice, knowing she took part in forcing Syaoran back Hong Kong. She wasn't close to him but still! It just wasn't _right_.

If she had a choice, she would have chosen to not question about this ordeal at all but no. She had asked. She had chosen to get herself into this and now there was no way out. In a way, the future of Hong Kong rest in her hands. She was the one and only person who had the right and was able to poke Sakura out. All she had to do was tell Syaoran her real purpose here and it's a done deal. But then again, if Syaoran doesn't go back… Tomoyo groaned in frustration, but she had finally made up her mind.

"Sakura"

Sakura turned around and looked expectantly at her friend. The success of her mission depended on this. There was no way around telling Tomoyo and now all that was left to seal the stability of the mission was her friend's answer.

"I…"

--

That's it! My thanks to the people who continued reading this! R&R please.


	3. The Terms

Locked Wings

Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura (CCS).

--

Chapter 3: The Terms

"I… I'm not going to do it." Tomoyo lowered her head and stared at the floor after breathing out her answer.

Sakura stared aghast at her friend, shock written all over her face. She took two shaky steps toward her friend and asked, "Why? Why Tomoyo? You know how much this will mean to me if you had said yes. You knew what would happen if you turned me down! Why?!"

Tomoyo looked up at Sakura in anguish, "I know your father is in critical condition, but I just can't get past myself! I… I have my morals." Tomoyo looked away and continued, "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"Unless you agree to my terms." Tomoyo looked at Sakura with a new fire in her eyes

"Anything," rushed Sakura, "anything, as long as you help me keep this secret."

"Alright. I'm going to give you one month's time. If you can't make Syaoran fall for you, you can't take him away back to Hong Kong. Make him fall for _you_. Not the you when you were still young," demanded Tomoyo, "but for the Sakura now."

Sakura hesitated and frowned, debating over the pros and cons. She was in no position to start up a deal and in the end gave in. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll play by your rules. No more fake happy cheerful smile. This will be all me, the real me."

Tomoyo sighed in relief, "Alright. At least that part's ok… but where are you living right now?"

"Oh," Sakura chuckled, "the Elders are providing me a home here while I'm on this mission," emphasizing and drawing out the word, "of theirs."

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow, "Wow. Well, today is Day One so… go get started on your little mission."

Sakura beamed and wordlessly gave Tomoyo a tight squeeze. She turned quickly around and ran back down the stairs and off the roof, leaving Tomoyo wondering whether or not if she had done the right thing.

--

"Oh my gosh!" gushed Eriol excitedly, "Did you see her?! She obviously flirted with you!"

Syaoran groaned and tucked his head into his arms, "Leave me alone. My mind is already messed up as is."

Eriol took no heed of his words and continued chirping excitedly, "This is great! And you know her from before right?"

"Yeah…" came a muffled reply.

"Then you guys were meant to be! It's destiny! It's fate!"

"What?!" Syaoran's head shot straight up. "What makes you think she even likes me? So she said hi to me. Big deal. There's no way… no way at all." He frowned deep in thought. But why would she come to Japan? Doesn't she have this perfect family back in Hong Kong? He remembered that her mother was a kind woman, one that his mother would never be. Packing lunches, picking her up from school, holding hands… those were all fantasies to him. What he had were bodyguards. No emotions whatsoever. Any signs of affections towards him were taken as a possible spy from a distant country, or someone out to kidnap and or kill him.

As Syaoran sat at his desk pondering over what was going on, Sakura had already begun moving. Thirty days can zip by pretty fast and she had better use that time wisely.

"Hey Syaoran."

Syaoran looked up in surprise at the familiar angelic voice. Perhaps he had thought too much and his questions had monopolized his mind because before he knew it, the words had slipped from his lips. "What are you doing here in Japan?"

Sakura's smile quickly dropped into a frown.

_Crap! I never thought of that!_

"Well don't you think Japan is more fun than Hong Kong?" laughed Sakura.

_I hope he doesn't ask about mother… or father._

"Oh…" said Syaoran. He hated the awkward silence building up, and as a desperate attempt to spark up an interesting conversation, he asked, "So how's your mother?"

Sakura had agreed to Tomoyo's terms. If word gets out that she had lied to Syaoran… the whole plan will go up in smokes.

"She… she passed away."

Syaoran's eyes bulged in surprise but quickly turned sorrowful, "I… I'm sorry. I had no idea." He continued on timidly, "When did this happen?"

Sakura tried to look normal as she answered, "About a year after you left." Although she had promised Tomoyo to not go into fake Sakura mode, she still had her morals and that was to not let anyone see her behind her mask. This wasn't just to fool Syaoran. It was to fool everyone. No one was to see her pathetic look behind the mask. No one.

"I see… well then I'm sure your father's fine right?" laughed Syaoran nervously, hoping to end the conversation with that.

"Actually… he got into a car crash a few weeks before… and he's stuck in a coma."

"Oh… I'm sorry." Was all Syaoran said, but inside he was as puzzled as ever. What happened after I left? She's supposed to be happy! All this with her parents… I can't believe she'll leave her father's side when he's in critical situation! "Shouldn't you be in Hong Kong? Taking care of your father?"

Sakura smiled and replied, "He's already in good hands."

_This conversation revealed way too much about me much too early… I have to end this. _

"I have to go now. I'll see you later." Sakura slowly backed away and turned around after a light wave. Syaoran could only stare at Sakura's back, trying ever so hard to picture those pair of wings he had seen before on her but… where were they?

--

_This stinks. If this goes on, he's bound to figure out that I was sent by the Elders._

Sakura stomped down the hallway fuming.

_Why Tomoyo why?? _

Sakura wheeled into the nurse's office. "Excuse me? I'd like to be permitted to leave." Sakura feinted sick and practically collapsed onto the bed for students.

"Aw poor dear!" cried the nurse, "What happened?"

"I don't know." Sniffled Sakura loudly, "All of a sudden, I just feel _so_ dizzy and tired. My head hurts too! Can I please go home?"

"Oh alright." Said the nurse, "Give me your name and I'll mark you down as sick."

"Kinomoto Sakura."

The nurse raised an eyebrow and stopped writing. "The new student?"

Sakura paused for a second and replied, "Yes…?"

"You're leaving early on your first day? Are you sure this isn't some excuse to leave because you aren't accepting your environment? Or worse! Are you being bullied?" the nurse started rambling and clutching her clipboard.

Sakura rolled her eyes and said through gritted teeth, "No. Just send. Me. Home."

The nurse stared at her wide eyed and just nodded, all the while shaking her head muttering, "Needs therapy… lots of therapy…"

Sakura wanted to scream right then and there but somehow managed to hold her breath in. She snatched the note the nurse held out and, holding her stomach, limped out of the nurse's office. Face scrunched, she moaned, "Bye. Thanks."

"Anytime…" The nurse stared at the wall and said to herself in wonder, "How does a headache have anything to do with her stomach?"

--

_Should I just call Wei and have him pick me up…?_

Sakura debated over having a ride or not. Yes she was tired, but she also needed some alone time to think things through. Sighing, Sakura turned on her heels and started off in the direction of the Elder's estate. As she walked, many thoughts ran through her head but all were problems that basically couldn't be solved.

There were so many questions. Does Syaoran still like her? Will she be able to meet the 30 day deadline? She wasn't worried about Tomoyo. Tomoyo's a trustworthy person and one who keeps her word. No. It was her own behavior that she was most worried about. How will she be able to persuade Wei to not give her this make-up to bring out the "shine in her eyes"?

She felt so tired.

Without noticing, Sakura had ended up walking right up to the Elder's estate's front door. She almost crashed into the gate before she gasped and halted, her nose centimeter's away from being smashed in between two painted black metal bars. She rang the bell and saw a maid running down the steps and up the path.

"Ms. Kinomoto! You're here!" gasped the maid.

"Yeah…?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, "And why, may I ask, can't I be here?"

"Oh!" the maid's eyes widened and her head quickly drooped down, "I, um, meant you're back! And…"

"And?"

"And you didn't leave." Said the maid sheepishly.

Sakura giggled at the maid's shyness. "Call me Sakura. If we're going to live under the same roof, then I won't stand to have someone calling Ms this and Ms that."

"Yes Ms – I mean Sakura!" The maid corrected herself awkwardly, foreign to the new word. This was the first mistress she ever had who preferred to be called by her first name and without any formalities. It was bizarre. Wouldn't she want to be seen higher than her the maid? Their status were completely different!

"So… what's your name?" asked Sakura, feeling comfortable now, leaning against the gate acting as casual as she could, taking their encounter as practice behavorial lessons for school.

The maid flushed and waved her hands in front of her frantically, "Oh no! You can't possibly know my name! I'm just a worker here!"

Sakura stared at the maid eye to eye. They were about the same height and clearly about the same age. "Fine. Take it this way. As your mistress, I _order_ you to call me Sakura. I _command _you to tell me your name so that I don't have to call you maid. Seems kind of awkward don't you think?"

A smile broke across Chiharu's face and her eyes lit up. "Yes Sakura. And my name is Chiharu."

Sakura pushed off from the wall and started down the path, "Alright then, now tell me, as a friend to friend basis, why did you think I'd leave?"

"Well…" Chiharu paused and frowned, but chose to continue, "I'm not sure if you know but there _are_ rumors that go around the house and if I was standing in your shoes, I'd give up and just leave."

"I see…"

_Well now I know to watch my tongue around her. Rumors eh…?_

"Well I'm glad I've finally made my first friend here." Sakura gave a small smile as she reached to open the door just to be overcome by Chiharu. A maid's instincts come before everything and thus was proven by Chiharu's low bent as she grandly opened the estate's large oak door.

"I'm home!" called Sakura, chuckling at the irony behind it.

Wei stuck his head around the dining room's door, "Welcome back Sakura. You're quite early today…" He glanced at the clock and turned his head towards Sakura. He looked suspiciously to her, "Don't tell me you ditched on your first day of school."

"So! What's for dinner tonight?" asked Sakura, expertly evading the inevitable question. She marched into the dining room and wheeled into the kitchen. Cookers and maids were bustling about. Pots and pans clanged and clunged as they banged against each other. Steam rose from the stove, misting up its vicinity. Knives could be heard, thudding in rhythm against the wooden boards, slicing through vegetables and meat.

Sakura smiled cheerfully, a full attempt to change the subject, and chirped, "Anyone need help?"

All activity stopped. The sound of the knives, pots, and pans were put on pause. Only the sound of the stove could be heard, hissing incessantly. The cooks and maids stared wide eyed at the strange object standing in the kitchen. A mistress! Standing in the kitchen! It was absolutely unheard and 100 percent odd. Feeling about a dozen pairs of eyes on her, Sakura struggled to maintain her grin while backing out, "I'll be in the living room… watching TV… if anyone wants me." With that, she turned on her heels and rushed to the living room, blushing.

Sakura sat on the sofa staring blankly at the brightly lit talking machine in front of her. "That was… weird. I've never been turned away for doing housework. Don't they want help?"

"You don't get it do you?"

Sakura acknowledged the voice behind her and responded, "No. I don't."

"You're in a different position now," said Wei, "You're the mistress of this house. And according to them, mistresses just don't walk into the kitchen and offer her help."

"But why? If I offer it, just take it for crying out loud!"

"You'll get used to it. You're just… unfamiliar with this new way of life. Once you return Syaoran-sama to the Elders, all will be returned to normal for you. But for now, while you're here, the workers have to respect - "

"But I don't want that!" cried Sakura, "Why can't I be accepted as one of them? Why can't I be accepted?"

Again, another past wound. After her mother had passed away, Sakura had to deal with many people pitying her. She was an only child living with her father. Her mother had died in a tragic and unexpected car crash. Anyone who heard her history would almost immediately switch to a lower tone of voice and give her care. It was alright if the pity would only last for a while, but constantly? Even Syaoran gave her the sorrowful look today!

Teachers no longer graded her papers as hard as they should have. For that, she became an outcast among her friends at school at an early age. They grew to be jealous of all the advantages and attention she got. That was why, when she left for this mission, she didn't have to say bye to anyone.

There was no one.

Sakura turned her back against Wei, a sign for him to leave her alone. Wei stared at her sympathetically, bowed, and left the room. Hearing his retreating footsteps, Sakura's shoulders relaxed and slumped down. She grabbed the nearest pillow and hugged it tightly in front of her.

Sleep was the only comfort. Sleep was the only way out of this horrific life she was leading. Sleep.

--

Thanks for reading this far. I've noticed that the number of reviews have been dwindling even though the number of hits have been rising. If you'd be so kind, will you please offer me some advice? Thanks!


	4. Scene Under the Tree

Locked Wings

I'd like to spend a little time on thanking the few sincere people who chose to review my story. Although your little notes take about two minutes to write, they make my day more pleasant at an exponential rate. Thanks!

In addition, I apologize to those who put me on alerts. There was some technical difficulty and so the email notification got sent THREE TIMES. All the notifications were for Chapter 4 **only**. Once again, sorry!

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS (Cardcaptors Sakura)

--

Chapter 4: Scene Under the Tree

"Sakura!" a voice whispered, "Ms. Sakura!"

The figure on the couch groaned at the voice and turned away, hugging her pillow against her ears.

"Sakura!"

The figure, still in her little dreamland, mumbled, "Just five more minutes…"

"Wake up!"

"Five more minutes…"

"SAKURA!"

"HUH?" Sakura bolted up from her curled up position on the couch with wide eyes and looked around frantically. Seeing nothing wrong, her tensed shoulders eased down and she slumped back onto the couch, resuming her old position.

Chiharu stared at her, annoyed, and yelled for the final time, "WAKE UP!"

Sakura groaned at the persistent buzz next to her and submitted grudgingly. She ran her fingers through her hair, expected it to end at about chest high, only to stop short at about shoulder-length. She paused for a second, letting the memories of what had happened the past few days run through her head and process. It was like a dead lightbulb being lit, and just to be rebellious, she floped back onto the couch.

Now Chiharu was at the end of her nerves. She pulled Sakura up and shoved her off the couch. Hey. She was the one who wanted to be treated equally and she'll be treated equally alright.

"It's 7:45 AM"

Sakura's once grim look quickly switched to realization. Her eyelids flew open and she cursed, "Damn!" She quickly got to her feet, staggered a few steps, and raced upstairs to her bathroom. After that argument with Wei, she ended up sleeping straight past dinner and shower. She didn't even change clothes yet! Being a semi-germaphobic, Sakura regarded her body with distaste, wondering how many bacteria and viruses must've attacked her by now. She looked at the clock, ticked off. She had less than 15 minutes. Will she take a shower? Should she take a shower? Will she have enough time?

No she won't have enough time but to hell with it. Sakura marched into the bathroom and emerged with 5 minutes to spare. After blow-drying her hair, she had about 4 minutes left until the first bell. Grabbing her new backpack, she practically fell down the stairs and tripped out the door. Out of her pocket, she fished out her new cell phone. It appears that Wei became rather annoyed with being unable to call her and had tossed her the phone after her journey down the stair.

"Darn!" cursed Sakura loudly, already starting to run to school. Three minutes left! Ever since she was little, she had long discovered that her body was built like an athlete. By the time she waited for her chauffeur and got into the car, the bell would've already rung so why not just run to school?

The streets zipped by as she rushed to school, checking her cell phone still in hand every 5 seconds.

One minute left.

Sakura skidded into the front of the school and raced up the stairs.

30 seconds.

_Oh god! Where is that classroom!_

Sakura stood in the center of the hallway, tapping her foot with a frown on her face. She thought back to yesterday and closed her eyes, trying to let the memories flow back to her. She could see through her eyes the how she navigated the corridors yesterday but something just wasn't right...

15 seconds.

_Got it!_ Sakura wheeled off to her right and made several other twists and turns.

_Why is this place built like a freaken labyrinth? _

5 seconds.

_There!_ Sakura spotted the classroom and picked up her pace. It was a good thing the principle didn't catch her running through the halls, otherwise things would've been worse. She could've been held back for a serious _talk_! She could've been pulled into his office! But she didn't and she slid the doors open the exact moment the bell blared itself. About 37 pairs of eyes looked in her directions.

Panting, Sakura leaned on one side of the door and raised her hand heavily, "Here." Hoisting her backpack over her shoulder, she stumbled to her row, all the while with students and teacher's eyes staring at her in shock. All but one.

Syaoran turned his head away and tried his best to muffle his laughter. It's been years since he's seen her and yet she's still the same. Well, the late part at the very least. Behind him, Sakura flopped into her seat and dropped her backpack onto the marble floor with a resounding thud and gave a small groan. After a few minutes of silence, she began to take note of where the people's attention was feeding. Her.

In an attempt to throw them off, she sat up taller and closed her hands in front of her. Hell, you could practically imagine the halo on top of her head. She beamed a smile at the teacher, a continuous and non-faltering one. Terada-sensei stared at her strangely and dragged back onto calling roll.

Sakura's smile drooped and her shoulders slumped. She exhaled a held-in breath and seemed to deflate. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she gave a big yawn and collapsed onto the desk. All the while, Syaoran Li was trying to stifle his laugh, but a small but audible chuckle escaped.

Eriol's ears twitched and he slowly rotated his head into the sound of the malicious sounding chuckle. His eyes bulged at where it came from and looked back and forth between Syaoran and Sakura. Then, he gave an eerie smile and fastened his gaze back onto Terada with his mind dettached and already somewhere else.

At the same time Syaoran's little chuckle escaped, Tomoyo also stared at the two across the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something peculiar. Her breath got caught in her throat as she noticed the small glint in Hiiragizawa-san's eyes. She followed his line of gaze just to hit back where she started. Shocked, she tried to think up of things Hiiragizawa might be devising in his mind.

She didn't even come close.

--

"Alright class! Turn around to the person behind you and discuss this chapter." Terada-sensei gave his commands and returned to his desk where he resumed his game of Solitaire.

_Perfect_. This was the perfect chance for Sakura and Syaoran to interact with each other and let Sakura know more about Syaoran's personality. It was as if Kami himself was helping her.

"So," started Sakura, "what did you think of Miyoshina?"

Syaoran seemed perfectly at ease with Sakura right in front of him inches away. "Hmm… I agree with her. Her mother barely takes care of her. What right does she have to be given the title mother?" They were discussing the famous novel Tale of Miyoshina in Japanese class. The story takes place in feudal Japan about a family of four going through the difficulties of that age. Miyoshina, the main character, suffers from lack of attention and hard labor.

"But shouldn't she be happy that she even _has_ a mother?" Sakura frowned with contradiction. She related the story to her own life and thought how much better Miyoshina was than her's, even though she had the obvious obstacles such as hard labor. Still, she had a mother. Sakura didn't. That made all the difference.

"Well I think a mother who doesn't care for her and only gives attention to her little brother is a failure." Syaoran himself faces the same family issues as Miyoshina. His mother, Yelan, gave all her attention to his four sisters and never cared for him. She hardly spared a glance at him other than complimenting his report card when he got straight A's. Other than that, never. His safety was always in the hands of his bodyguards. There was no need for a mother's security if it had already been hired and bought.

Despite herself, Sakura lost herself to the discussion and forgot all about her previous plan to find out more about Syaoran. She became fully intrigued with the conversation and became more and more defensive, as was Syaoran. Both were so heated up that they didn't notice the bell. Their fellow classmates and teacher stared at them with amusement but nothing more. Slowly, they silently filed out the door one by one, leaving the two alone in the room.

"No! I think she should be grateful!"

"Well having just some presence doesn't serve the purpose of being grateful at all!"

"Yes it does!"

"No it doesn't! And besides, if she wasn't capable of working, I doubt she has any reason to stay in that household at all what with all the drama circling around their lives."

True. Yelan has a place in the Li Estate only because she manages his four wild sisters well and because she was in charge of the Li's financial issues, courtesy going to the will of his diseased father. If it wasn't for that signed piece of paper, the Elders would've kicked her out ages ago.

"She's still a mother all the same to Miyoshina!"

"A useless one." Syaoran smirked triumphantly.

Red faced, Sakura slammed her hands onto the desk and rose up, fury clearly written in her eyes. Sneering, she replied coldly, "Yeah well, at least she has one. But you'll never understand, it's not like _you've_ever lost your mother." She pulled her backpack on, never breaking the gaze between him and her. Then, she tore the invisible line and made her way for the door.

"Wait!" Syaoran realized his mistake but it was already too late. He stretched his arm out to get a hold of Sakura's sleeves. Sakura stopped, her back still turned to him, but with no attempt to walk away any further. Syaoran dipped his head apologetically and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Sakura snatched her arm away from him. Silently, she walked away, her footsteps echoing off the walls of the quiet classroom. The next period had begun while they were still bickering.

Syaoran hadn't expected her to stop again, but she did. She halted at the doorway and said in a low voice, "Why can't you just accept me and stop with the pity?" And this time, she did make her exit, leaving Syaoran dumbstruck and full of guilt.

_What did I just do…?_

--

The cafeteria bustled with activities as students ran to the lunch lines before chaos started. Tables were filled until the chairs seemed to be fencing the table in. The chatter and the skids of chairs only contributed to the growing din. The cries of numerous lunch ladies could be heard as people started cutting in line and spilling food onto the floor. And average day for Toki High. But the cafeteria isn't the only place students can eat food.

The cherry blossom tree above Sakura's head rustled with the wind and scattered petals down onto Sakura's head. She sat alone on the cement and ate her packed lunch quietly, enjoying the silence. She poked at the food with her fork and sighed. She didn't feel like eating. After her mini-bickering with Syaoran, she didn't know how to repair the damage between them. Getting him to fall for her would be even harder. She cursed herself for getting too temperamental and unable to hold her emotions in. If only she had held her tongue in…

"Hey."

Sakura snapped out of her trance and looked up at the intruder. His figure blocked out the sun completely so that all she could see was this big black blob. She shielded her eyes with her hand and squinted up to get a good luck at the stranger.

"Who are you?"

The stranger's blue eyes twinkled in the sunlight and his blonde hair shined a white halo as he reached a hand down at Sakura. "Call me Yukito. And you?"

Sakura smiled at him, and reached up to shake his hand. "Sakura Kinomoto. Sakura's fine. Oh!"

It was at that moment that Syaoran chose to take a break from the chaos in the cafeteria and went out for a noon stroll. He was just going to walk past the cherry blossom tree, trying his best to avoid his gaze from Sakura who, at that moment was flirting with Yukito.

She felt an unexpected pull at her arm and she fell. Right into Yukito's arm.

"What are you doing you jerk!" hissed Sakura as she struggled to get out of her cage. She kicked and fisted Yukito but he just smiled and held her tight.

Yukito lowered his voice and whispered huskily into Sakura's neck, "You know, you're even cuter when you angry-"

"Let her go."

Syaoran stood directly in front of the scene with his hands at his side. His eyes gazed coldly at Yukito, his Li blood kicking in. His mouth was pulled in a straight line and his hands were clenched into tight fists. Sakura gasped at his arrival. _This isn't how I want him to see me!_

Yukito smirked at Syaoran and squeezed Sakura's middle again, as if teasing him. "Make me." Sakura gasped at where his hands were. She squirmed against his grip but had no effect. His vicelike hands showed no signs of releasing as he steadily held Syaoran's gaze with a smile on his face.

Syaoran gave a low growl and clenched his fists tighter and bent his knees slightly, ready to charge at Yukito. He had already planned out how he was going to take him down. Although he had left the Li Clan for 5 years, he hadn't abandoned his martial arts training. Even though the Li Clan had made him do martial arts, he soon grew into it and started picking it up as a hobby. He could picture it all in his head now. He'd lunge forward with his fist aimed at his stupid face. Then when he's busy blocking his rapid attacks at that smirk, he'd swiftly pull Sakura away and put her behind him, thus making him a defender. It worked out so brilliantly in his mind.

His eyes glared hatefully at the hands holding onto Sakura. _How dare he!_ He built up the necessary momentum and locked on to his target mentally. Knowing his was ready, he surged forward in offense, roaring in anger as his arm sailed in.

"Stop!"

Syaoran pulled back just in time and glared at who his intruder was. His eyes widen in surprise but his gaze quickly transferred onto the ground. "Damn!" he cursed, sensing his what luck he's been having.

Touya, the principle, looked between the three of them, two with sheepish expressions growing on their faces and one with a quite… happy… and normal look. Normal being Yukito. He crossed his arms behind his head and smiled up at Touya, "Hey."

Touya looked suspiciously at him and demanded, "What's going on?"

Yukito gave a flustered look and rose his hands in front of him, "What? We weren't doing anything! What are you talking about Father?"

Touya glared daggers at Yukito and loomed over him, "Don't. Call. Me. Father. At. School."

Syaoran and Sakura exchanged shocked glances. _Father!_

"Don't expect any privileges from me while you're at Toki High, Yukito. You're just the same as any other student here."

"Yes Father. I mean Touya-sama." Corrected Yukito hastily with a clear smirk on his face.

"Well… seeing as how everything seems to be at control, I'll just leave the matter alone. That and it seems that you've drawn quite a crowd," said Touya.

It was true. All around them were students, looking at them with interest. For once, something special had happened at Toki High. The cherry blossom tree the three were in was circled by people, a rare sight. Usually, this tree was abandoned in a little corner of the schoolyard. Among the crowd were also Tomoyo and Eriol, both shocked at who the center of attention was at the moment.

Right when Touya was about to turn around and depart from the shade under the cherry blossom tree, a voice called out.

"Wait."

--

Yay! You continued all the way up to Chapter 4! Again, I've been keeping an eye on the number of hits and I've noticed that the majority of people who chose to read this fic, read all the way until the most recent chapter. I really hope to make my readers enjoy reading my writing more, but I need some critiques so once more, please review. Thank you!


	5. IOU

Locked Wings

**Sorry about the late update! My thanks to those who chose to review. **

**And yes, Yuki is evil. I thought it might be nice to break off from the usual Yuki helping poor Sakura get through her troubles with Syaoran scene. Why not let him be the antagonist for once? Well, enjoy Chapter 5!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura (CCS).

--

IOU:

Syaoran stepped forward from Sakura with a frown on his face. "Is that all you're going to do? Give him a warning?" He shot a glare at Yukito, "Do you know what your son has been doing, Mr. Touya, our _principal?"_

Touya halted at his stepped and slowly turned around, "Yes and I'm also aware of what you were doing as well. Shall I have to suspend you for giving threats and starting fights?"

Syaoran gritted his teeth and growled. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't afford to have them do a search on his parents since he _is _a run-away. Touya stared at him triumphantly, knowing he had successfully avoided doing his part as a principle. Watching on the sidelines, Yukito watched with a smirk playing on his face. He crossed his arms and watched how the tables had turned.

Touya started, "Syaoran Li," Sakura and Syaoran looked at Touya in surprise. It was unnatural for a principal to know his name since he wasn't one of the few at school who stuck-out the most. "I'll be watching for you." Touya glared at Syaoran and Syaoran gladly returned the heated look. Although Touya was a father, he didn't act or look his age at all. He swiftly turned around. The crowd gathered in front of the cherry blossom tree shifted to form a line out. Like a royal, Touya stamped out and soon disappeared from view.

Syaoran remained where he stood, anger clouding his face. Sakura looked in amazement at the boy standing in front of him. She hadn't count on the damsel in distress moment but she knew how she could play with this.

"Syaoran, it's ok," said Sakura softly, "I'm fine."

"Yeah but," started Syaoran as he shifted his glare to Yukito who was staring back obnoxiously, "nothing happened to _him_ and he was the one who should've been punished."

"Yeah well," snorted Yukito while rolling his eyes, "tough luck I guess then. Not everyone has a principal for a father you know and certainly not," he paused for a second and glanced Syaoran up and down as if analyzing his financial status, "someone like you." With that, a defiant grin graced his face as he turned and walked away. "Move it!" he barked loudly. The audience shifted to make room for his exit as he strutted out.

Slowly, the crowd dispersed and melted away leaving Sakura and Syaoran alone. Both Tomoyo and Eriol had plans for a session of interrogation later.

"Thanks." muttered Sakura and this not a lie or a word full of false gratitude.

"Yeah…" Syaoran ran his fingers through his hair and looked away a bit embarrassed, "I just got, you know, pissed off at how he was treating you. It just wasn't right. Not to me I guess." He thought about all the people who just walked by and did nothing and realized what a thing he had done.

"I'll make this up to you," said Sakura seriously, "I promise, but right now, I just want to get home and take a nice long shower."

Syaoran chuckled and lifted his head, "You're ditching school?"

"Hey," smiled Sakura with a twinkle in her eye, "there are times when a girl just needs a bath and I'd say today is one of those times. I'll see you tomorrow." She grabbed her backpack and turned around, hand already in pocket fingering her cell phone, devising a smart way to get off the hook from Wei's lectures.

Syaoran smiled as he watched her small figure walking away and started wondering how she'll make it up to him. He didn't get far though. The bell rang and school resumed again.

--

"Hey! Open up!" hollered Sakura. She stood at the front gate with her arms crossed. She growled as she rattled the metal bars in front of her again. Next the her, the metallic voice box crackled to life.

"Hello Sakura." Spoke the box.

Sakura jumped at the sudden voice and bent down to look at the box. She squinted her eyes and asked, "Is that you Wei?"

"Precisely."

"Well if you're in the house, would you mind opening the gates? If you haven't noticed, I've been standing here for 10 whole minutes!"

"You could do to stand more," said the voice curtly, "Ditching school like this on a daily basis. Shame on you!"

"Wait. What? This is just my second day of ditching!"

"And you've only been to school for two days, Miss Sakura."

"Well, I had a legitimate reason to leave yesterday, so that doesn't count."

"A legitimate _fake_ reason you mean."

"Yeah whatever. Just open up will you? It's getting really hot out here."

"School hasn't been let out yet and therefore, the gates won't be open."

"…Are you saying I have to stand out here for two more hours?!"

"Exactly."

"That's stupid! I'm gonna be toasted by then and I'd get a horrible tan! Just op-"

The voice cut in, "Good bye. Have fun. Enjoy the heat." There was an audible click and silence wrapped around a red faced adolescent girl.

Furious, Sakura clenched her hands around her waist and shouted at the disconnected voice box, "Fine! I'm gonna go walk around Tokyo! I can live without shade and AC for two hours. Hmph!" She threw her hands up in a final sign on annoyance and strode off into the city with her backpack still slung over her shoulders.

--

"Hey Sakura," purred Eriol suggestively, "What say you and me, together, tonight, hmm?" He switched over to a more high-pitched voice and replied, "Oh Syaoran! You're _SO_ naughty!" He giggled and batted his eyes in an effeminate way.

"Cut it out Eriol," growled Syaoran as he slipped his feet out of his P.E. shorts. "It's not like that."

PE had just ended and the school day was coming to an end. A few more minutes later and the bell would ring.

"Well you sure were nice during lunch eh?" teased Eriol, "You were quite the shining knight in armor."

Syaoran rolled his eyes and bent down to tie his shoes. "I'm telling you. It's not like that."

"Whatever you say," sang Eriol, "whatever you say." He paused and glanced slyly down. "But we all know what you _really _think."

Just then, Syaoran stood up abruptly and strode briskly towards the door. He grabbed his backpack and exited, leaving Eriol still reenacting the earlier scene.

"The day's over at last!" Syaoran stood at the front steps of the school and pulled his hands up in the air in a stretch. "Well, the day's still young so… to the Penguin Park!"

--

"Eeny, meeny, miney… moe!" It was tough, but through some thorough examination and head-racking thoughts, Syaoran was able to pinpoint exactly which he wanted. The wooden bench with the backboard. He set his backpack down and gave a loud sigh as he draped himself over the bench. He took one arm and rose it above his head and watched as the sunlight danced between the slits of his fingers. He groaned and placed his hand over his eyes. 'It's not working," he thought, "I just can't seem to get her off my mind!" The image of Sakura's small back reappeared in his mind. Her smile and her eyes invaded his mind.

"Damn it!" Syaoran sat up abruptly and rubbed his hand over his face. He glared at the Penguin slide to his side, "What's wrong with me? She's just a girl I knew. That. Is. All! UGH!"

"What's wrong with you?"

"AGH!" Startled, Syaoran fell off the bench and landed heavily on his behind. A giggle came from above him, "Oops!"

His ears twitched at the familiar sound. Slowly, he looked up. Sakura's grinning face was right above his. A red blush quickly spreaded across his face as he took note of the small distance between his lips and hers. He quickly pulled back. Stuttering, he gasped, "S-S-Sakura! What are you doing here?"

"Well," Sakura leaped over the bench and sat down next to him, "it seems that I don't have a home to go to right now. So I thought I'd go exploring Tokyo for the day!"

Syaoran gaped at her with a stupid expression plastered onto his face. "But I thought, but… shower… but. Oh nevermind."

Sakura's mouth morphed into an O like shape as she remembered something crucially important. "Ah yes. My debt." She looked at him thoughtfully and put a finger delicately onto her lips. "Would you accept… anything?"

Syaoran's eyes remained glued onto her lips and widened as she touched them with her finger. The tips of his ears turned red as he pictured her smashing her lips onto his. Him putting his hands behind her to push her body against his. Her running her fingers through his hair. Naturally, for a boy his age, he nodded vigorously.

Sakura's mouth curved into a smile. "Alrighty then, cmon!"

"Woah!" In one smooth move, Sakura grabbed Syaoran's hand, pulled him up, and basically dragged him across the park. "Slow down!" Syaoran's hand almost missed his backpack as he lunged for it. All previous dreams, dismissed.

Sakura turned around and grabbed his hand with her other hand. Skipping backwards, she smiled brightly, "Cmon! It's not too far!" Syaoran stared dazed at her smile but woke from his trance long enough to smile back and give a strong nod. He couldn't help but think, 'Wow. The wings, they're back... again."

Laughing, both of them half ran and half tripped towards Sakura's destination. "We're here!" In an extravagant gesture, Sakura presented to Syaoran the amazing structure in the park. The place with the most people crowded around. The sacred location sought after by many.

The ice cream truck.

Syaoran stared dumbfounded at the singing truck. "This… is where you wanted to bring me…?"

"Yep!"

"And how are you going to pay me back the debt…?"

"Through ice cream!"

"…are you serious?"

"Oh… it's okay if you want something else." Sakura gave a worried stare at Syaoran and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. She looked down and scraped her shoe against the grass. "I mean, I'd understand if you want something more expensive and- "

"Ice creammm" Syaoran's eyes practically sparkled as he stared at the chocolate bar in front of him. "How long has it been since I've had… ice cream…"

Sakura's eyebrow rose up as she took in the unusual sight in front of her. Inwardly, she thought, 'I never thought it'd turn out like this…'

"Sakura!" Sakura's attention quickly reverted back to Syaoran.

"Hai!"

"I want… that one!" Syaoran's finger jabbed at the chocolate bar poster taped onto the side of the truck. Chuckling, Sakura stuck her hand into her pocket for her money, "Yes, yes. Whatever you want, dear."

As Sakura was ordering, Syaoran regained his consciousness. 'Damn it! I got so intoxicated by the ice cream that I just totally blew my cool cover!' He growled, 'Now she'll just think of me as this grownup big baby.'

"Why are you growling?" Sakura's puzzled face popped into view. In her hands were their ice cream bars, hers strawberry and his chocolate.

Struggling to keep his cool, Syaoran gave a small cough and muttered, "Nothing." He took the ice cream from Sakura's hand and made his way to a nearby bench with Sakura following close behind. The sat side by side on the bench staring up at the sky tinted pink, a sign of the coming sunset. They sat in silence, both licking their ice cream. An awkward atmosphere settled in between them.

"So," said Syaoran, an attempt to break the silence, "I guess you don't owe me anymore huh?"

"Yup! I'm off the hook now." Sakura laughed and turned to look at his face.

"Aww…" Syaoran gave her his infamous puppy dog face. "No more ice cream?"

"Oh stop. It's not like I won't treat you ever again!" scoffed Sakura as she took aim at a nearby trashcan and scored as the popsicle stick made its way there successfully.

"So… there's a next time?" Syaoran asked tentatively. Sakura turned to look at him, shock written all over her face. He studied her face, looking for signs of rejection. 'Aw man. I just blew it. I just totally blew all my chances with –'

"Of course." Now it was his turn to be shocked.

'No way! She didn't reject me!'

"Well! It's getting dark and I have to go." Sakura stood up and shrugged her backpack on. "I still have a ton of homework to do. Math is such an annoying subject."

Syaoran laughed as he stood up and walked to the trashcan, "Not really. It's actually pretty easy once you get the formulas and everything. It just clicks in your head you know?"

"Well then…"

In one smooth move, Sakura brought her arms around Syaoran gently while his back was turned and locked her fingers together in front of him. She snuggled into his back and gave him a small squeeze before releasing. Syaoran remained dazed with his hand hovering over the trash can. His fingers relaxed and the popsicle stick landed with a soft thud.

"Now you owe me math lessons. See you tomorrow at school!" With that, Sakura dashed off.

After what seemed like ages, Syaoran dropped his expression and breathed, "What… was that?" He brought his hand up to his chest and felt his heart still thumping loudly. "Wait. Math lessons?"

"…Oh snap."

--

**I hope you enjoyed reading the new installation and, for some, reading from Chapter 1. I'm aware that I have a lot of… issues. Not mental mind you haha. So go all out with critiques please. Hopefully I'll get another chapter up by the end of August. Once again, hope you enjoyed the chapter and review please!**


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